1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water droplet collector for collecting drops of dew condensed from the air onto cool surfaces in a high humid compartment such as a cooling storage cabinet formed to store perishable fresh foodstuffs or a bath room filled with vapor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 64-41880 there has been proposed a water droplet collector adapted to a high humid cooling storage cabinet for perishable fresh foodstuffs. The water droplet collector is in the form of a dew receiving plate which is composed of a rectangular synthetic resin or metallic frame covered with a cloth of water absorptive fiber material or a rectangular perforated syntheric resin or metallic plate covered with a clotch of water absorptive fiber material. The dew receiving plate is mounted within a ceiling portion of the storage cabinet at an inclined angle. In the storage cabinet, drops of dew condensed from the air are absorbed into the water absorptive fiber material to be drained outwardly from the cabinet, while drops of dew condensed onto the ceiling of the cabinet are received by the receiving plate to be absorbed therein. The water retained in the water absorptive fiber material vaporizes to increase the relative humidity in the storage cabinet.
If the dew receiving plate is used for a long period of time, bacterium adhered to the water absorptive fiber material will breed to must the interior of the storage cabinet, and the smell of stored foodstuffs such as fish, meat or the like is absorbed into the water absorptive fiber material to cause unpleasant smell in the cabinet. To avoid such problems, the cloth of water absorptive fiber material has to be periodically washed for eliminating the must and smell. It is, however, very difficult to completely remove the must and smell from the cloth by washing. If brushed to mechanically remove the adhered must, the cloth of water absorptive fiber material will be damaged or broken.